Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 14,750, Benjamin Freeman, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Freeman, Benjamin Silvia
N 14,750
CONTENTS

10066.
Reported.
Massachusetts
Vilna Freeman, Dec d
Widow of Benjamin Freeman who was a pensioner under the Act of and who died on the June 1814 of Plymouth in the State of Mass. who was a Lieut. & Sergt. in the Company commanded by Captain Turner of the Regt. commanded by Col. Jackson in the Revolution time for 8 mos. 21 days service 2 " 10 " by Sergt.
Inscribed on the Roll of Boston at the rate of 30 Dollars 69 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 11th day of June, 1846 and sat y to
Heuben Baldwin, Boston, Total amount, $ 255' 20
[Act July 7, 1838.]
Recorded by Chas. Cummins Clerk, Book Vol. 1 Page 37
Payable to Joanna Phinney John Freeman and Vilna H. Dowd Only surviving Children

I Allen Shaw certify that I have carefully searched the records of the town of Middleborough for the Marriage of Mr Benjamin Freeman to Miss Silva Stetson, and cannot find any such Records. Middleborough Ms Sept 9 th 1839.
Attest Allen Shaw Town Clerk.
March 6 th 1785 Then I Published a purpose of Marriage between Mr Benjamin Freeman and Miss Silva Stetson both of Middleborough.
P o Ruth H. Wilder Town Clerk
I Allen Shaw depose and say that I hold the office of Town Clerk in the town of Middleborough County of Plymouth & Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that the above is a true extract from the Records of said town.
Middleborough Sept 9 th 1839.
Allen Shaw Town Clerk of Middleborough
Plymouth ss. September 9. 1839. Then personally appeared Allen Shaw, Subscriber to the above certificate, and made solemn oath to the truth of the same, and he is a credible Witness -
Before me Eliab Ward, Justice of the Peace

I Bethiah Freeman of Middleborough in the County of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts, aged seventy nine years, do testify and say that I am well acquainted with Sylvia Freeman and her husband Benjamin Freeman, late of Middle- borough in said County and Commonwealth, he was my Brother and I well recollect his marriage with Sylvia Stetson. I was present at the solemn- ization of the marriage and saw them married Witness
Elisha Ward
Bethiah Freeman
Attest. this August 26 th 1839
Then personally appeared Bethiah Freeman, subscriber to the foregoing affidavit, and made oath to the truth of the same and well known to me to be a credible Witness.
Before me Elisha Ward Justice of the Peace
The word "Saw" interlined before the signature of the deponent Before me Elisha Ward J. Peace

Joanna Freeman daughter of Benj n Freeman by Silva his Wife, was born April 18 th 1786.
(April Eighteenth Seventeen Hundred Eighty Six)
Stephen Freeman Son of Benjamin Freeman by Silva his Wife, was born May 26 th 1788.
(May Twenty Sixth Seventeen Hundred Eighty Eight)
John Freeman Son of Benj n Freeman by Silva his Wife was born August 26 th 1792. —
(August Twenty Sixth Seventeen Hundred Ninety Two)
I Allen Shaw certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the Record of the Town of Middleborough, with the exception of the above dates which I have expressed in Words at full length. Allen Shaw Town clerk
I Allen Shaw above named depose and say that I hold the Office of Town clerk in the Town of Middleborough County of Plymouth, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that the above is a true extract from the Records of said Town with the exception above named as certified by me. — Allen Shaw Town clerk
Middleborough Feby 1 st 1840.
of Middleborough
Plymouth ss. February 1 st 1840. Then personally appeared Allen Shaw subscribed to the above certificate, and made solemn oath to the truth of the same — and he is a credible witness —
Before me Elias Ward, Justice of the Peace

I Ebenezer Picking Esq re of Middleborough in the County of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts. aged fifty two years, do testify and say, that I was well acquainted with Benjamin Dyer man late of Middlebor- ugh in the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, he lived in the same neigh- bourhood with me, and he enlisted into the Service of the United States, I think, in the Eighteen Hundred and thirteen, or fourteen, - and that news came to his friends, that he was dead - he never has returned, and I have no doubt, but that he died, while in the Service of the United States, during the War with Great Britain. I am well acquainted with his wife or, Silvia Dyer man, who is still living -
Your P re s ent .
Plymouth ss. January 23. 1840. Then personally appeared Ebenezer Picking, subscriber to the foregoing affidavit, and well known to me, to be a credible witness, and made oath to the truth of the same - Before me Elias Ward Justice of the Peace

I Benjamin Thompson of Middleborough in the County of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged Seventy five years, do testify and say, that I was well acquainted with Benjamin Freeman, late of Middle- borough in said County and Commonwealth, deceased, that I was in the Revolutionary War with the said Benjamin Freeman, in the year 1780. Six Months - in the State of New Jersey, about half of the time, that we were out - and the other half of the time at West Point. We were in Capt. Thomas Furness Company, in Col Henry Jackson's Regiment. David Cobb was our Lieut Colonel, and we were in General Stark's Brigade. I was in the same Company with the said Benjamin Freeman & in the same Mess with him, and he served the whole six Months with me - and I left the said Benjamin Freeman at West Point when I came away - our campaign commenced in July and closed in December of 1780. Benj o Thompson
Plymouth. 4 th August 5. 1839 then personally appeared Benjamin Thompson, subscribed to the foregoing affidavit, and well known to me to be a credible witness and made oath to the truth of the same.
Before me. Eliz ab Ward. Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Plymouth Y. I Jacob H Lord Register of Probate for said County do hereby certify that Eliab Ward Esq is a Justice of the Peace in & for said County & that the several signatures to the annexed affidavits purporting to be signed by him are his true & genuine signatures.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of the Probate Court for said County this sixth day of February 1840
Jacob H. Lord

6782 Silvia Freeman
Mass.
ad 7. July '38-
In 85 d/4 -
Vol 4. 124 - 5mo-21-

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Plymouth, ss.
On this twenty eighth day of August, 1839, personally appeared, before the Honorable Wilkes Wood, Judge of Probate, in and for the County aforesaid Sylvia Freeman, aged, Seventy five years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth, on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision, made by the act of Congress passed July 7. 1838, entitled "an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows -
That she is the widow of Benjamin Freeman late of Middleborough in said County of Plymouth, deceased, who served in the Revolutionary War, as a private in the Militia, six months, in the State of New Jersey and at West point, in Captain Thomas Furnas Company, in Colonel Henry Jackson Regiment, and in General Starkes Brigade - in the year 1780, the Service commenced in the month of July and closed in December -
She further declares, that she was married to the said Benjamin, in month of May, in the year Seventeen Hundred and eighty five, that her husband, the aforesaid Benjamin Freeman

died in the Month of June, in the Year, Eighteen Hundred and Fortytwo. at Green Bush, in the State of the United States, in the last war
That She was not Married to him prior to his to his leaving the first mentioned Service - but the Marriage took place previous to the first of January, Seventeen Hun- dred and Ninety four, viz. at the time above stated
N. B. The words "not" & "first mentioned" were inserted before the signature hereof.
Silver
Joanna's mark
Sworn to and subscribed to the day and year first above mentioned
Before me Wilkes Wood Judge of Probate
Plymouth Y. I Jacob H. Lord Register of Probate for said County do hereby certify that Hon. Wilkes Wood is Judge of Probate for said County & that the above is his true & genuine signature.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of the Court of Probate for said County this sixth day of February 1840
Jacob H. Lord

Rev. and 1812 Wars Section.
August 3, 1927
Ella F. Oswald 179 St. Johns Place Brooklyn, N. Y.
Madam:
I have to advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim W. 14750, it appears that Benjamin Freeman served as a sergeant in Captain Calvin Partridge's Company, Colonel John Cushing's Massachusetts Regiment, from September 23, 1776, fifty-eight days, and from December 10, 1776, twelve days as sergeant in Captain Bildad Arnold's Company, Colonel Thomas Lathrop's Massachusetts Regiment, and as a private from July 11, 1780 to December 30, 1780 in Captain Thomas Turner's Company, Colonel Henry Jackson's Massachusetts Regiment.
He died in June 1814 at Greenbush in the "service of the United States" in the :
He married in May 1785 Miss Silvia Stetson, they were both then of Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
She was allowed pension on her application executed
I wrote this service by the state report as the pension was granted in that case

August 28, 1839 at Middleborough, Massachusetts, aged seventy-five years. She died November 16, 1842 at said Middleborough.
Their children mentioned in the claim—
Joanna born April 18, 1786, married -- Phinney Stephen " May 26, 1788, was dead in 1842. John " August 26, 1792, alive in 1842 Elisha - ----- -- -- died November 18, 1842, leaving widow Hannah. Sylvia - ----- -- -- married -- Howe.
Joanna and Sylvia were alive in 1842.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT Commissioner.

J. L. Edwards Esq
Dear Sir
Probate Office
Plymouth Mass.
Feb 6. 1840
I enclose you the application of Silvia Freeman widow of Benjamin Freeman decd.
The service is sustained by the Affidavit of Benjamin Thompson & is undoubtedly verified by the rolls.
There is no record of the Marriage as appears by the town Clerk's certificate.
By the Clerk's Certificate it appears that on the Town records is a certificate of the publication of the intentions of Marriage March 6. 1785
There is the Affidavit of his Sister Betthiah Freeman 79 years old who swears that she was at the wedding but can't tell when it was as her memory is so much impaired.
There is a Certificate also of the record of the births of their Children from the Town Records the first having been born 1786
This undoubtedly will be satisfactory.
As to the death the only evidence sent is the Affidavit of Ebenezer Pichens Esq a respectable

Magistrate for this County living in Middleborough. Numerous similar affidavits could be obtained from the most respectable people of that town.
Respectfully Your Obt. Sv. J. H. Lord

6782
Mass
Lot 6 J. H. Louis, April 7, 1820.
Act 7. July 38

6. 782.
Sylvia Freeman, dec. Mass.
Act 7 July, 38
adm d
2 m p 10 d s sergeant.
5 " 21 ds private.
under $30. 64. to be died - 16th Nov. 1862, payable to Joanna Phinney, John Freeman and Sylvia Howe only surviving children
Reuben Baldwin Boston, Mass.
Benjamin Freeman of Middleborough, deceased. Sylvia Freeman and his widow.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston;
Dec. 2. 1845.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Benjamin Freeman, is borne upon a pay roll of Capt Calvin Partridge's company, in Col John Cushing's regt, for service at Rhode Island, as a Sergeant from September 23. 1776, 58 days. Other rolls in this office show that said Capt Partridge, commanded men raised in the County of Plymouth. Upon a Muster roll of Capt Bildad Arnold's company, in Col Thomas Patten's regt in the County of Plymouth, that marched on an alarm to Rhode Island, Dec. 10. 1776, as a Sergeant 12 days. Upon a Pay Roll of the men raised in the town of Middleborough to serve in the Continental Army for the term of 6 months, as a private, from July 11. to December 30 1780, inclusive 5 Months & 21 days, including allowance of 12 days for travel. The above is all the evidence of service, which can be identified with the individual described in the annexed ap
1776-9-28 1776-10-12 1780-3-21 1780-7-11

Application
And I further Certify, That, before search made for evidence of said facts, the application hereto annexed was filed in this Office, in the form in which the same now appears; that the search was made by myself and my clerks alone; and that said application, and the certificate above set forth, contain all the facts and circumstances within my knowledge, pertaining to the case.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
John G. Taylor;
Secretary of the Commonwealth.

New Bedford Bristol County Mass'ts
Sept 23 d 1845
The Secretary of the State of Massachusetts is hereby Requested to furnish evidence from the Rolls in his possession of the service of my late Father as a Soldier in the Army of the Revolutionary War.
His name was " Benjamin Freeman " of Middleborough in the County of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and that said Benjamin Freeman performed several tours of Military duty during the continuance of said War. The particulars of which is almost obliterated from my memory. I always understood that he served at Roxbury in the fore part of the War, when he was about Sixteen years of Age, and likewise in the States of New York & New Jersey; but under what Officers, or for what length of time he served during the several campaigns in which he was engaged, I have no means of knowing, but I must rely upon the evidence of said Benjamin Freeman  represented service afforded by the Revolutionary Rolls in the Secretaries Office of Massachusetts.
John Freeman.
Signed by the said John Freeman. in my presence; New Bedford Sept 23 d 1845.
Shraim Kempton Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Plymouth Ys. At a Court of Probate held at Plymouth in & for said County on the twenty fourth day of February by adjournment from the third Tuesday of said month, in the Year 1846.
It was satisfactorily made to appear to the said Court that Sylvia Freeman, Widow of Benjamin Freeman late of Middleborough, in said County, deceased, died at said Middleborough on the sixteenth day of November in the Year Eighteen hundred & forty two, and that she was an Applicant for a Pension on account of the Revolutionary services of her said husband Benjamin Freeman deceased. That at the time of her decease she left four children, viz: Joanna Phinney, John Freeman, Elisha Freeman & Sylvia Howe & that they were her only surviving children. That said Elisha Freeman one of the above named children of said Sylvia Freeman deceased died on the eighteenth day of the same month of November Eighteen hundred & forty two & that he left a Widow whose name is Hannah Freeman. And that the aforesaid children of Benjamin & Sylvia Freeman are all still living with the exception of the above mentioned Elisha Freeman deceased.
At the same Court John Freeman of

New Bedford, in the County of Bristol, was duly appointed Administrator on the Estate of his said brother Elisha Freeman deceased, & took upon himself that trust by giving bond as the law directs.
In witness of all which I Jacob H. Lord Register of Probate for said County have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court this seventh day of March 1846
Jacob H. Lord Reg. Probate

Boston Massachusetts.
March 23 1846.
Sir
I transmit herewith the certificate of the Secretary of State of Massachusetts, containing the evidence from the Rolls of the service of Benjamin Freeman, in the Army of the Revolutionary War; Also a Court Certificate shewing the time of the death of Sylvia Freeman, his widow, and likewise the time of the death of Elisha Freeman, one of the surviving children of said Sylvia Freeman, and that John Freeman is appointed Administrator of his deceased brothers Estate. The above mentioned claim of Sylvia Freeman was made out and forwarded some five or six years ago by Eliab Ward Esqr of Middleborough Plymouth County, under the act of 7 th July 1838, and suspended for lack of proof of service or for some other cause.
There is strong presumptive evidence that Benjamin Freeman performed much additional service between the termination of his 12 Days service in 1776, and his 5 months & 21 Days service in 1780, supposed in some of the Rhode Island Regiments; Under these impressions the children of said Sylvia Freeman reserve to themselves their right to assert their claim hereafter for any amount of service, found credited to their late Father on any Rolls that may be found. Should the above case be admitted, you will Issue a certificate, and I request that the name of the administrator of Elisha Freemans Estate may be inscribed in the same, and thus save the time & expence of procuring a separate Court Certificate, to be presented to the Agent

for paying Pensions in Boston, as was the case in Mrs Eunice Eversons. widow Levi Everson did.
Very Respectfully Sir I am Your Obedient Servant Reuben Baldwin.
James L. Edwards Esqr. Commissioner of Pensions. Washington. D. C.
P. S. Be pleased to examine the Rhode Island Continental Rolls for the name of Benjamin Freeman aforesaid. as it is alleged by his Children that he partook of the service & sufferings of the Army at Valley Forge in the Winter of 1778.
Yours most Respectfully R Baldwin.

C. E. C. Oswald 179 ST. JOHNS PLACE BROOKLYN, N. Y. STERLING 1587
April 7, 1927
Pension Bureau, Washington, D.C.
Gentlemen:
May I trouble you, please, for information concerning the following persons:—
Benjamin Freeman , born 1762; died 1813 at Greenbush, N. Y., "in the service of the U.S." — no doubt a soldier in the War of 1812. The maiden name of his wife was Sylvia Stetson.
Samuel Freeman , son of the above Benjamin, born 1795; died also at Greenbush in 1813 "in the service of the U.S."
I am particularly interested in knowing where they resided at the time of their enlistment and where the widow, Sylvia Stetson Freeman, resided subsequent to 1813. Trusting that you may be able to give me this data, I remain
Respectfully yours,
Ella Freeman Oswald.

Map
Rev WIDOW, &c.
File No. 14750
Silvia Freeman Widow of Benjamin Freeman Sergt Rev War
Act: July 1 st 88
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 254
[Arrangement of 1870.]
1927-Aug 3-Hist. Soc. of Concord Aug